Combined facing-table and postmarking-machine.



P. J. MADIGAN & J. REHAK. COMBINED FACING TABLE AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

[mrfiffi/ M? f4 9&7" A 9% Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

APPLICATION I' LED JUNE 3, 1912.

P. J. MADIGAN & J. RBHAK.

COMBINED meme TABLE AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE3,1912.

1 72,888, Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

P. J. MADIGAN & J. REHAK. COMBINED FACING TABLE AND POSTMARKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1912. 1,072,388, Patented Sept. 2,1913.

3 SHEETS-BHBET 3.

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sermons. MADIGAN AND nuns annex, or cnrciteo, 'itmuois; s n) REHAK Assmnon 'ro sAiD nnmenu.

incense.

Specification of t-euers Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

Application filed June 3, 1913. Serial No. 701,501.

To all whom, itmay concern:

Be' it known that we, PA'rnioK J. MADIGAN and JAMES REHAK, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new'a'nd useful Improvements in Combined Facing-Tables and Postmarking- Machines, of which the following is atie scription, reference being had to the accent panying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which. corresponding numerals of reference in the different figures indicate like parts;

The object of our invention, stated enerally, is to provide simple, cheap and effective means for delivering mail matter from a sorting or facing table directly to a canceling or post-marking machine.

A further object is to provide automatic means to be located between the facing table and the printing die of the canceling machine or the feed mechanism which delivers the mail-pieces directly to said die, which shall so act upon said mail pieces that such of them as may be delivered at a rate per given unit of time above a given maximum to be determined by the capacity of the marking die, may be temporarily withheld at a predetermined point or stage in their passage, to be successively advanced therefrom at such a rate as will enable them to be roperly received and marked by the die,- wiile all of such pieces as may be delivered at said point of detention at a rate not exceeding the capacity of the die may be caused to pass directly past said detaining point to the said die without detention, thereby provding for all irregularities in rate of delivery from the facing table, uvoidi'ngclogging and consequent stoppage of the machine and enabling the marking die to be utilized to its full capacity, all of which is hereinafter more particularly described and definitely set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of a facing table with a con veyer, retarding and separating means, Fig. 2 is a continuation of the view shown in Fig. 1, showing a marking couple and the intervening mechanism forming the mailpiece path and means for temporarily detaining excess quantities of mail, Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional view taken upon the line 3-3, Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrows there shown, Fig. 4-, is a like sectional view taken upon the line 44, Fig. 2, viewed in the direction ofthe arrows there shown, and Fig. 5 is a plan view corresponding to that shown in Fig. 2, except that certain of the parts are shown in relatively different positions.

Various attempts havc'heretofore been made to feed mail matter directly from a facing-table to a canceling machine, but so far as we are aware, without success. The usual practice is to dump the mail indisc'riminatcly upon the facing-table, when the operatives stationed beside it select the pieces and drop them singly or in bunches cdgewise and properly faced upon a conveyor by which they are passed through a separating device and thence conveyed to an automatic lnmching or stacking mechanism. The pieces so bunched are then transferred by hand to a canceling machine. This hand transfer has been found necessary because of the great irregularity of delivery from the facing table, the average output from which is intended to be equal to or slightly less than the maximum capacity of the canceling machine. It frequently hapens, however, that mail is rcviously faced Jy the sender and delivered in bunches to the facing-tablcs, which bunches are dropped bodily by the operators upon the conveyor and often several of such bunches are dropped simultaneously or substantially so. It is obvious, therefore, that in order to avoid congestion in the conjoint use of a facing-table and canceling machine, and to work the; latter to its full capacity, provision should be made for taking care of the momentary excess in such a manner as to cause the pieces to be fed to the die in regular orderly succession. This result may be fully accomplished by means of the followin'g described mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 1, Figs. 1 and 3', designates a portion of a facing-table'hav ing the usual conveying chute or runway 2, along the edge provided with a horizontal conveyor-belt 3. The facing table is usually made of a length sullicicnt to accommodate, about eight operatives upon the side upon which the mail-chute is located, the end of said table proper being designated by 4, Figs. 1 and 3. The chute or runway is extended beyond the end of the facing-table, the upper surface of the couveyer belt 3, being upon a level, or substantially so with an extension or table 5, which forms in a well known way, not shown .a support for one of the pulleys 5 of said conveyer. In the example illustrated the table of the canceling machine is shown as forming a part of said extension although it is obvious that it may be detachable therefrom provided it is upon the same level. Upon the outer edge of the runway 2, and extending upwardly therefrom is a wall 6, to the inner face of which, near the delivery end of the facingtable, is attached a light guide-spring 7, Fig. 1, which is diagonallyextended across the runway preferably into contact with the 0pposite wall, to direct the mail-pieces against or close to said wall for the purpose hereinafter stated. A plurality or series of retarding fingers 8, 9 and 10, Figs. 1 and 3, are extended through openings in the Wall 6, and arranged diagonally across the mailpiece path. Said fingers are pivoted upon vertical axes outside of said wall at 11, 12 and 13 respectively and each is yieldingly held in a normal position as shown by means of a spring 14, one end of which is attached to a stationary stud 15 and the other to an arm 16, rigidly attached to the finger and extending radially from its axis. The finger 8, is, by preference, slightly curved as shown and each of the fingers 9, and 10, is provided with a tip 17, of india rubber or other frictional material. Upon the opposite side of the runway from the retarding fingers and substantially parallel tothe main portion of the wall 6, is a feed belt 18, mounted upon pulleys l9, and 20, having vertical axes and adapted to be driven in any well known way. Interposed between the pulleys 19 and 20, and located opposite to the finger 10, is a feed roller 21, the peripheral surface of which is substantiall flush with the feed-belt surface, said fee -roller having a rubber or other frictional surface. A guard or shield 22, is extended from the end of the table 1, along that side of the runway upon which the belt 18, is-located and is provided with openings for the reception of the pulleys l9 and 20, one of which openings 23 is shown in Fig. 3.

The wall or shield 6, is bent inwardly and obliquely to the plane of the feed belt 18, as shown at 24, Fig. 1, from whence it is again extended in a line parallel or nearly so, to the guard 22, so as to leave a relatively narrow pathway between them. A bracket 25, Figs. 1 and 3, has one end rigidly attached to a wall or frame element 26, and .is extended diagonally across to the wall opposite to the pulley 20. A separating plate 27, is located between said bracket and a stationary guide-plate 28, arranged parallel thereto, and attached through a slot in the plate 27 to said bracket. The part 27, is ex tended into the pathway of the mail-pieces and is bent forwardly as shown at 29. A

yielding finger 30, mounted upon the part 27 is also arranged to project into the mailpiece path beneath the part 29. A spring 35 connected at one end to a stationary stud 32, and at the other to the sliding plate 27, is adapted to hold said finger in. a normal position, the whole constituting a well 'known form of separating device for separating-the mail-pieces so that they may be thereafter advanced separately.

Pivotally mounted upon a vertical driv-. ing shaft 33, Figs. 2, 4 and 5, is a yoke 34, having rigidly connected thereto, a swinging arm 35, which is intended to form one wall of a laterally movable guide-way or shifting mail-piece path. The upper end of the shaft is supported by means of a bracket 36, which is rigidly attached to the part 5. The shaft 33 may be driven from any approved source of power. Rigidly mounted upon said shaft is a pulley '37, Fig. 4, which is interposed between feed-rollers 38, having the usual friction surface. Brackets 39, are rigidly attached to the rear face of the arm 35, and form bearings for the shaft of a pulley 40. Curved wings 41 are rigidly attached to said pulley shaft above and below said pulley. A belt 42, is mounted upon the pulleys 37 and 40, being extended through openings 43 and 44, in the arm 35, so as to carry said belt back of the. arm. bracket 45 is rigidly attached to the back of said arm, said bracket being provided with adjustable studs 46, having idle rollers 4748, mounted thereon over which said belt is trained. The purpose of this construction is to guide the belt out of the mail-piece path while utilizing it to drive the pulley 40 and rotary wings 41. A feed roller 49, Fig. 2, is arranged to act in conjunction with the feed .rollers 38. We prefer to make the distance between the pulley- Wheel 20 and the feed roller 49, less than the length of the shortest mail-piece in order that the forward end of a mail-piece in passing may be grasped between the rollers 49 and 38, before being released from the feeding action of the belt 18, although the momentum of the moving mail-piece 1s usually sufficient to carry it a much farther distance.

A pulley 50, Fig. 2, is mounted upon a vertical shaft 51, adapted tobe driven from any suitable source of power, not shown. Pivoted upon said shaft is a swinging arm 52, which is slidably supported upon the flat surface of the table and held in a normal position against an adjustable stop 53, by means of a cord 54 and weight 55, said cord being attached to said bar and trained over a pulley 56,- supported in a well known way upon the frame. A belt-pulley 57, is mounted loosely upon a stud 58 upon the free end of the arm 52.

upon the pulleys 50 and 57, the inner por- A feed belt 59, is trained the sliding element 73.

tion of which, next to the mail-piece path, is reinforced by means of a backing-plate 60, rigidly attached to the arm 52. A link 61, has one end jointedly connected to the bottom face of the arm 5%, as indicated in dotted lines'and the other to 0. lug upon the lower edge of the arm 35, at (552, said lin k being located in a curved slot in the table so as to present no obstruction in the mailpiece path. The object of said link is to cause both arms *to swing in unison for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

A plurality of light fiat springs 63, are attached to the inner face (it-the arm 35, and extended obliquely across the mail-piece path into loose contact with the surface. of the feed-belt 59, the purpose thereof being to hold the passing mail-pieces against the belt surface and thereby insure a continuance ot the separat-um caused by the separating mechanism above described. It will be noted that the arm 35 is bent about midway between its ends so as to insure a laterally divergent pathway for the mail pieces which, when the arm is in a normal position, again leads back into substantial al'inement with the original pathway. The free end of said arm is provided with an inwardly bent yieldingru'bber tip 64,. and a flexible metal extension 65, as an aid to 'the separation of the mail-pieces. A short, wide, horizontal conveyer belt '66, Figs. 2, 4t and 5, is mounted upon pulleys (l7, beneath the frame with the top level of which the u )per surface of said belt is substantially fush. Said conveyor belt is arranged to extend from the end of the feed belt 59, to the end of the arm 35, while its width conforms substantially to the extent of lateral movement 0t said arm.

A stationary shield 67, is located above one edge of the belt '66 between the pulley 57, and a pulley (18. A feed-belt 69, is

trained upon the pulley G8, and a like pulley 70, one of which is connected with a source of power in a well known way. A feed roller 71, of the usual type, is located between the pulleys (38 and 70, substantially opposite to the end of the swinging arm 85. A separating mechanism of any well .known type is also located opposite to said feedroller. In the example illustrated it is shown to comprise the following elements. A transverse vertical shield or plate 72, is rigidly attached to the table. A slidable separator-plate 7 3, bent latera lly at its forward end into parallelism with-the feed belt M), as shown at 74, is guided between the plate 72 and a stationary plate 75, and yieldingl-y held in a normal position by means of a spring 76, one end of which is attached to a stud. 77 upon the stationary plate 75, and the other 'to a stud 78 upon A printing couple comprising a marking die 79 and an imp1ession roller 80, is located in operative proximity to the feeding belt 69.

It is desirable that the mail-pieces should, after leaving the facing table, be advanced at an accelerating speed for the purpose of establishing relations adapted to permit of their orderly advancement to the die; and while we do not wish to be limited to any specific rates of speed, we would recommend in practice that the speed of the feed roller 21, be increased about fifty per cent. above that of the conveyer-belt 3; that the peripheral speed of the feed'rollers 38 and 49, and'the speed of the belt 59, be increased about seventy-five per cent. and that of the conveyor :belt 56, and stacker members 4-1, about one hundred per cent. above that of said conveyor 3. The speed of the marking die, as well as that of the feed belt coacting directly therewithshould'be suliicient to eonform to or slightly in excess of the average output of mail-pieces from thefacine table.

From the il m'egoiug, it will be seen that the pathway botvwen the table and die is divided into a plurality of stages or sections in which the speed of the conveying mechanism is relatively different; that in the first section being sullicient to provide for the maximum output from the-facing,

table; that of the second stage being in excess of that in the first and that of the third stage substantially equal to or slightly in excess of the speed necessary to provide for the average output of said facing-table.

The operation of said device is as follows: The faced mail-pieces are dropped into the runway by the operatives in constantly varying quantities and are carried into contact with the spring 7, by which they are guided .into contact with the feed-belt 18. As they are further advanced they are brought successively into contact with the retarding fingersfi, 9 and 10, which not only serve to press the pieces next to the belt into frictional contact therewith, while retar-ding the others, but the increased speed 0d the belt serves to cause a rapid advancement of these next to it so that the tendency is to cause said mail-pieces to be forwarded in single file, one after the other. any be found to overlap each other, upon reaching the separating finger 29, they will IlDG completely separated thereby. The conveyer belt 3, is extended nearly to the feed rollers 38, and t9, to which the mail-pieces are thereby conveyed. The advance mailpiece is then caught by said feed-rollers and carried on at an accelerated speed and is pressed by the fingers 63, against the feedbelt 59. The pieces are then conveyed one #by one to the conveyer belt 66 and brought into contact with the revoluble wings 41 and pushed laterally thereby against the Should I ltlll feed-belt c9 and into the'throatof the sep-' they are delivered from the facing table in quantities or at a rate in excess of the capacity' of the die, the free end of the arm 35, is caused to be moved laterally away from its normal position hy the presence of the rapidly accumulating 'mail-pieces, therehy shunting the same from the normal path into contact with the arresting stop extending laterally from the normal path and causing them to accumulate sideloy-side in the manner indicated in Fig. 5. The action of the weight serves to press the free end of the arm or wing 35, against the hindmost mail piece, thereby pressing the foremost onesin the order of succession against the feed mechanism thereby causing them to be fed in regular order to the die at a rate in conformity to its capacity. As soon, however, as the rate of delivery from the facing table diminishes, the arm 35 is gradually restored to its normal position when the operation is continued .without detention of any of the mail-pieces.

' It will be seen from the foregoing that the fundamental principle involved is the automatic shifting of the'mail-piece path as a result of the quantitative fluctuation of the mail-pieces acted upon, so that as soon as the rate of delivery is increased the ex- -cess, above a given quantity, will he shunted and temporarily held in position to be advanced in regular order. It will be noted as the mail-piece path is shifted by the movement of the arm 35, the feed-belt 59,

is retained in parallelism with it, so that as the mail pieces are advanced each successive one will be delivered upon the same side and adjacent to the one preceding it, thereby avoiding confusion and clogging. The lateral movement of the arm should be suflicient to take care of any temporary increase in delivery.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim 1. lhe combination with a facing table and a rotary marking die of means for advancing mail-pieces in a normal path from one to the other, a mail-piece stop arranged adjacent to the mail-piece path to temporarily arrest and hold mail-pieces and laterally yielding means forming apart of said advancing means, the latter preceding moving mail-pieces in-ra ses said vstep for successively shifting" mail-.

pieces out of their normal path and direct ing them against-said stop when advanced thereto in excess of a predetermined normal rate, while successivelypressing thexadvance pieces so arrested into saidnormal path to be forwarded to saiddie at a predetermined limited rate. Y

2. The combination with a. facing table and a marking die of means for advancing mail-pieces in a normal path from one to the other, ms adjacent to the mail-piece path for temporarily arresting and holding mailrpieces slde-by-side against each other,

laterally yieldingmeans, fox-min a part of.

said advancing means for shi ing mailpieces out of said normal path and preceding said arresting means for successively directing mail pieces against said arresting means to accumulate in a bunch or pack when advanced thereto in excess of a predetermined normal rate, separatingmeans in operative proximity to said pack and means for laterally pressing the foremost -mail-piece of said pack with a yielding pressure toward said separating means;

3. The combination with a facing table and a rotary marking die of conveying means having a capacity equal to the mainmum capacity of the operatives atthe facing table for conveying mail pieces from said facing-table toward said die, separating" means, conveying means conforming substantially in speed to the speed of the marking-die for conveying mail-pieces from said separating means to said die," alaterally movable guide-way forming a part of the mail-piece path between said facing table and said separating means and means for yieldingly holding said guide-way in normal registration with said separating means with a yielding pressure to permit a direct continuous passage from the table to the die of all mail-pieces advanced at a given rate per unit of time and to temporarily withhold those which are advanced in quantities in excess of said rate.

d. The combination with a facing table and a rotary marking die of an intermediate mail-piece pathway dividedinto' a-plurality' of stages or sections conveying means for V om said table to the end of the'--, first stage, the capacity of said conveying means being suflicient to provide for the maximum mail'delivery from the table thereto at all times, means for shifting the-directionfof the mail-piece path in the secondary stage whenever the mail pieces are advanced in excess of a given rate, to divert the excess mail-pieces irom the normal path into position 'sid by-side in the order of succession with marinaward ends against a stop, conveying" means in said second sect on having a higher rate of speed than that of saidlit.

mam

yioldingly holding sa d e nd se i n in a r l P siti n an means fernonveyy aihp es fro ai econd s twn to ie at a speed in substantial conformity to he periphoralspeed ofs ud d19- The combination vyitha faom table and ma king die, at p veylng was r con ey g -p se in e meihnxeve hath from one o the ot er, laterally mo abl mai piece guide-way forming an intermediate par of thema l= a e path between and a l and die, an p me y an secondary ep ra ms m ans anged espechvelybes f re and af r said laterally mov ble guide 6-. The combinati n w th a fa ing tahle and a mark ng die of primary and second ary sena atmg mea s interpos d t een said table and die, the former near the able and the latter near th die con eying means for conveying mail-p eces from said faning= table to said ri nary separatin means, a, laterally. movadile mailpiece gn' t-way interposed between said primary and SBCOI dT ary separating means, conveying means located in said guideway, means tor yieldingly ol mg the delivery end of said gui e: way 1n o eratlve prox ml y to sa d s cond: ary separatmg means and conveym means for advancing mall-pieces from sai second: ary separating means to. said'die.

7. The combination W1th a faclngvtahle and a marking die, of a mailrp ece runway between the two, primary and secondary separating means interposed at predeterv mined points in said runway, conveying means, laterally movable guidingmeans forming a part of said runwa between said rimary and ndary epara ingmeans and means for exerting a yielding pressure upon the delivery end of said gutde-way to hold it in normal registration with said secondary separating-means.

8. The combination with ,a facing table and a marking die of a mail-piece runway between the two, primary and secondary separating means in S id runway, laterally movable guiding means forming a part of said runway between said primary and secondary separating means, means for exerting a yielding pressure upon the delivery and of said guide-way to hold it in normal registration with said secondary so arating means, a mail-piece stop extending atcrally from said secondary separating means and means for advancing said mail-pieces from said secondary separating means.

9. The combination with a facing table and a marking die, of primary and secondary separating means Inter-posed at predetermined points between said table and di.e,,

' primary an convoyin means for conveyxng meil-p1e e rom so: .faclne ahle t aid PW W'Y parating; means et rdi g m an l cated p n n indent t. ma -pat a latera y movable ma lqneee guide-way interposed bet en 50d primary and se onda y sepa a ng means, onveying means located npon one side oi sa d guideay, means for yieldegly hol ing the d liv ry end at aid gui way in operative proximity to sa d secondary sgparatmg means and conv ying means forvancgng mall-pieces from sald second.- are 5 @IMilltg means to said die.

10. he amnb nation i h a facing-t l and a mark ng di f PF M'Y and se nd ary sepl gatingmeans lnterp wl between iapd 41 97 cpnvev as means for 9 w v ng sa ma l-pieces from sald facingta Is to said rimary separating means, a, laterally movaiile rnaihpiece ids-way compns ng a madman p th interposed be tw en amprlmary and s c ndary eparaa mg means, convey n means located upon one id of SW1 an a ay sa d ic veymg means he m; later-a l mv e the ewith, a rotary stack ng men: er mounted upon said laterally movable gnide wfly for pressing mail pieces forwardly and laterally toward said secondary separat ng means, means for holding the delivery end of said guide-Way n operative pr ximity to aid s ondary separa mg m hanl m 1n yl ldlng opposition o the ac ion of Salad r ary tacklng mend and conveying means for advancing mallpieces from said secondary separating means o ai die 11.- Th combination with a faolng tflble and a Mary marking d e ai'pnmary Bfild c n ary s para n m ans mt rn ed tween s lll table an die,.conveyrn means for conveying m il-p eces from 'sai facing able to said prlmary separating means at a predetermined rate of speed, a laterally movable mail-piece gu deway comprisinga maiLpiec e h inte posed between said secondary separating means, conveying means upon one side of said guideway, said conveying means being caused to run at a higher rate of speed than that preceding it, m ans for holding the delivery end of said guide-way in operative proximity to said secondary separating means, a rotary stacking member upon the opposite side 0 said gni away from that of sa d onv y ng m ans and means for advancing mail-pieces from said secondary separat ng means to said .die, at speed cons forming substantially to the peripheral speed of said die.

12. The c mbination with a facing-table and a marking die of a mail-piece path running between the two divided into stages or Sect ons, the delivery end of the second section being laterally movable, means for conveying the maximum output of mail,-

13. The combination within easing aneing means.

isses-" atiana first to'the second section,

'mea'n's for'laterally movingthe delivery end of said second section for laterally diverg fing" the course. ofthe mail-pieces therein,

means" u- ;on one side of said second section for acce crating" the speed of send mail-- .piees therein, means u onthe' opposite'sidethereof for retardin mail-pieces to cause separation during a vancement, separating means' at the delivery end of said second section,'means for normally holding the de livery end of said second section inoperative prom'mityto said separating means, arrestmg means adjacent to saidv separating means,

a stacking member for shunting the mail pieces laterally toward said separating means and means for conveyingsaid mail die; 1

and a marking die of conveying means for normally conveying mail-pieces fromone to the other in a predetermined pathway, in-

termediate arresting means adjacent-to said pathway, separating means in-said pathway adjacent to said'arresting means, means for h causing a section-of said athway to be laterally shifted by the action of mail pieces "when advanced at an abnormal rate to deliver excess mail-pieces" against said arresting means, and yielding means for normally maintaining said laterallyjshiftable section in direct communication with said separat 14. The combination-with a facing table and a rotary marking die, of separating meanspreceding said marking die for separatingmail-piecesto enable them to be de- 1 livered fin-successive order tothe die, conveg as e ing means having a capacity equal to t maximum capacity of the operators at the facing table for conveying mail-pieces from said table to said separating means,-convey ing means conforming substantially in speed to that of the marking-die for conveying mail-pieces frcmlsaid separating means to said die, said first mentioned conveying means comprising as a part thereof a laterally movable guide-way forming a part of the mail-piece path between said facing table. and said separator, and means for holding said guide-way in normal registration with said separating means with a yielding pressure whereby an excessive accumulation of mall-pieces-may cause said way to move out of registration with said separating means while permitting the fore- -m0st mail-pie'ces to be successively delivered to said separating mechanism.

15. The combination with a facing table and a rotary marking-die of means for con-- veying mail-pieces from said table to said die, said means comprising as a part thereof a laterally swinging guide member interposed in the mail-piece path to form a section thereof for shunting mail-pieces when delivered in excess of a g1ven rate, arresting meansadjacent to said path at the end of zsa'id swinging member, separating means in operativeproximity to said arresting means,

means for yieldingly holding said swinging guide member in a normal position to deliver mail pieces directly to said separating means, .and means for advancing said mall-pieces from said separating means to said die at a rate of speed conforming substantially to the peripheral speed of said die.

16. The combination of a facing table and marking die, of means for conveying mail pieces from said table to said die, said means comprising as a part 7 thereof a laterally swinging guide member interposed in.the

-mail piece path for shunting mail-pieces when delivered in excess of a given rate, means for maintainingv parallelism between said swinmng guidemember and that portion'of the conveying means acting therewith, arresting means adjacent ,to the mailpiece path at the free end of said swinging member,"'separating vmeans in operative proximigy to said arresting means and means or yiel mg 1y holding said guide-members ina normal position. p

17. The combination with a facing-table and a rotary-marking-die having a mail conve'ying' ath between the two, of conveying means or conveyin mail-pieces at a given speed from said ta leto a given point in said path, a swinging arm interposed in said path at the end of said conveying means for shunting mail-pieces out of the normal path when delivered in excess of a given rate, separate conveying means having a speed greater than that of said above named conveying-means, said separate conveying means being arranged adjacent to said means, means for maintaining substantial parallelism between said supporting means and said swinging arm, arresting means adjacent to the mail-piece path at the end of said swinging arm, separating means in operative prommity to the free end of said swinging arm, means for yieldingly holding said arm in a normal position and final conveying means conforming substantially in speed to the peripheral speed of said die for conveying mail-pieces from said separating means to said die.

"18. lhe combination with a facing-table and a marking die, of means for conveying mail-pieces in a normal path from said table to said die, intermediate means formin a part of said conveyingmeans for shunting mail-pieces from their normal path when advanced from the table in excess of a given rate, means for temporarily arresting the advance of the pieces so shunted, means for too swinging arm, movable supportinglmeans 'for supporting said separate converging separating said mail-pieces prior to their ar- 1 o rest, separating means in operative proximspecification in the presence of two subscr'1b ity to said arresting means, yielding means mg W1tnesses,th1s first day of June 1912.

for maintaining said shunting means in a PATRICK J. MADIGAN. normal position, and means for laterally JAMES REHAK. 5 moving said arrested mail-pieces to said sep- Witnesses:

arating means. DAVID H. FLETCHER, In testlmony whereof, We have signed this J ENNIE L. FIBRE. 

